Will Nik Wallenda make it Live? Thread?

Today | Self

[al baby]

At 8ET/5PT tonight, Nik Wallenda, the 'King of the High Wire,' will attempt to cross the Grand Canyon while the world watches. Discovery

[RobertClark]

Should we assign a twitter hashtag for the event? I suggest #cleanuponaisleseven

[machogirl]

One can do the “360 Tour” at the site if you would like to see it as he will. It’s windy today, at least here in the Phoenix area.

http://skywire.discovery.com/

[Flycatcher]

What’s the weather like right now at the site? particularly the winds...

This walk will take place at the east end of the Grand Canyon, at a side canyon, actually, on the Navajo Reservation.

I happen to live at the other end of the Grand Canyon, near Grand Canyon West. I can't speak for the east end, but where I am, it's extremely windy with some huge gusts. There is no possible way he could attempt this walk at Grand Canyon West. I hope for his sake that the Navajo Reservation end of the canyon is not nearly as windy.

[machogirl]

Robbie Knievel jumps the Grand Canyon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT4omt51CtQ

[Patriot95]

#Ouch

[SamAdams76]

Once you get out on a tightrope high enough where a fall will kill you, you run up against the law of diminishing returns. What I'm saying is it no longer makes any difference high how high you go - a fall from 100 feet wil kill you just the same as a fall from 10,000 feet. Only difference is you die quicker from 100 feet.

Now I do think daredevils are a good thing. America was built on risk-takers and daredevils epitomize that - and sell a lot of tickets when they do their stunts.

Does anybody remember Evil Kneivel? I do. I was only a kid when he was doing most of his stunts. But I was hooked. I had the Evil Kneivel lunchbox and everything. Now that lunch box usually had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (because peanut butter wasn't banned from schools yet and besides, people would find peanut allergies silly), a banana and maybe a Hostess Twinkie or cupcake.

Everytime ABC Sports featured an Evil Kneivel stunt (usually announced by Howard Cosell), I was glued to the television. Now back in those days, you didn't have DVR and ability to rewind so you just got the once chance and you didn't want to miss it.

Now I remember clearly the big Snake Canyon jump on September 8, 1974. Elton John was all over the radio and Sanford & Son was the hottest show on TV. Richard Nixon was forced from the White House. just a month prior. And I was just starting 7th grade and boys were expected to wear tight pants and platform shoes to school (don't ask, but this was right around the time glam-rock was shifting to disco). But I was still too young to care about being stylish so I was content to play with my erector set and Evil Kneivel toys.

So anyway, I wish I could tell you that I was one of the millions watching the stunt that day - it was certainly the talk of our school. But no! You see, back in those days, when they really wanted to rip you off, they had something called "closed-circuit TV".

Now this was the 1970s equivalent of "Pay per View" but it wasn't like you could just dial it up on your home television and pay the $8.95 or whatever. No! You had to go some bar that subscribed to this "closed-circuit TV" scam. Which pretty much sucked for a 12-year-old kid because my parents weren't going to take me to a bar just so I could see Evil Kneivel jump the Snake Canyon.

So on the day of the jump (which was a Sunday and also the day Ford pardoned Nixon), I was reduced to hearing about it on the radio, where the DJ announced, in between "Billy Don't Be A Hero" and John Denver's "Annie's Song", that Evil Knievel did NOT make the jump successfully but that he "appeared" to be alive, somewhere in the Snake River.

Anyway, the Evil Kneivel phenomenon could only have happened in the wacky 1970s. Evil was the perfect counterpoint to Elvis Presley, who by then took to wearing star-spangled jump suits of his own. Only Evil looked much cooler in them.

Is it me, or did 1973-era Evil have more then a passing resemblance to Archie Bunker?

As Seen on TV!! This toy lasted me about 20 minutes before it broke. Just like 468 of Evil's bones.

[machogirl]

I remember being really little and watching that on “Wide World of Sports” (I think). He missed and the chute came out?

[SamAdams76]

Yes, I think Wide World of Sports showed it maybe a week or so after the fact. But if you wanted to see it live, you had to go to a bar and watch it on closed-circuit TV.

Interesting quote from Evil just before he died: "I made $60 million during my career but spent $62 million!"

Now $31 million of that was spent on women, booze and gambling. The other half, he apparently wasted.

[machogirl]

lol at the quote

here is the “Bad to the Bone” youvid about Evel (actor portrayal)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_vn7SHncKs

[Liberty Valance]

bttt

[discostu]

Actually the chute opened prematurely and had a lot to do with him missing, and nearly killed him since it landed in the water and started dragging the “cycle” in after it.

[Georgia Girl 2]

If he makes it let me know. If not then don’t let me know. I can’t watch that death wish stuff.

[NonValueAdded]

If he doesn’t make it, will you ask the mods to change the thread title?

[machogirl]

thanks, i didn’t know that the chute opened before it was supposed to.

[Yaelle]

I am old enough to have seen his father / grandfather die on the news live. I think I refused to watch TV news for about 15 years. It was absolutely terrifying and hurtful to me to see that look on his face.

[wardaddy]

Isn’t he using a harness?

[Misterioso]

Coming in on a wing and a prayer—minus the wing.

[cajungirl]

no harness

[Nachoman]

After seeing his promo on TV for about the 100th time, I’m hoping he’s going to die.

[Michael.SF.]

TV anchor just stated they have an EMT team at the bottom of the canyon, in case he falls.

Wouldn't the coroner be more appropriate?